I was in Indianapolis last week for the Evangelical Press Association conference. I had made plans to get some dinner with some friends from the Springs and we'd made the decision to get some pizza. When I'm in another city, I always like to find some local color and find the places where the locals like to hang out. So the last thing I want to do is eat at Applebees or find a Pizza Hut. I can always eat at those places in Colorado when I'm home.
So I went to the front desk of the hotel and simply asked the lady working the registration counter (this hotel had no concierge), "Where can I find the best pizza in Indianapolis?"
My question was met with a blank stare. So I prompted her a bit. I said, "I've heard some good things about downtown Indy. Is there a cool place downtown to get some pizza?" Another blank stare. Finally all she could do is give me a sheet of paper with a downtown map and a list of downtown restaurants on the back. Her only response was, "there are a lot of cool places down there."
I once read where the most highly trained staff at Disney were the parking lot attendants. This was because the attendants were on the front lines. They were the first Disney personnel that guests would encounter and they had to know the answers to all the top questions that might be asked.
I thought the same thing about the front desk personnel at this hotel. Why wouldn't you train them to know the answers to the top 50 questions. And wouldn't "where's the best pizza?" be one of the top questions from out-of-town visitors? This stuff should be top of mind for front lines staff.
Later the hotel redeemed itself when I encountered another lady at the front desk. I asked her the same question and immediately she smiled and said, "You've gotta go to Bazbeaux's. It's the best!" She was right. We even brought her the leftovers when we returned to the hotel later that night.
Your front lines staff have to know more than just their task list. They have to know the answers to the top 50. Where's the closest bathroom? Where can I get a bottle of water? How do I get back to the highway? Is there a place close by where I can get some gas? Where do you hire most of your staff? Where is the closest emergency room? How do you handle homesickness? When was your camp founded? Who can I talk to about my concerns?
What are your top 50 questions? Do your front lines staff have the answers?
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